Veen came up with the idea while sitting in his restaurant pretending to get some work done. As he browsed the internet to pass the time, he stumbled over the previous record for the world's most expensive burger, held by an Oregon restaurant that made a $5,000 burger that weight a whopping 352 kilograms, back in 2011. He found it cool, but decided he could make an even more expensive burger, and one that could actually be finished by one person.
"WOW! what a cool record, but what a waste that they made that burger 350kg-heavy," de Veen said to himself. "If you have a record like that, you should make a burger that one person can eat. Because that's the real most expensive burger in the world."
"Restaurants were closed and there were no food competitions due to the pandemic. Though our food takeaway service was on, I was depressed. I was feeling bad seeing the sufferings of the masses and the dismal situation of the restaurant industry," Veen told The National. "Therefore, I decided to create the world's most expensive burger and donate the entire income to charity to do good for the society."
Getting the recipe for The Golden Boy just right took a while and a lot of trial and error, but in the end Robbert Jan de Veen came up with a suitable combination that pushed the price of the world's most expensive burger to 5,000 euros.
The decadent burger features all sorts of expensive ingredients, from the Dom Perignon champagne-infused buns wrapped in gold leaf, to the Japanese Wagyu beef, Beluga caviar, Joselito Bellota 100% Iberico Vintage Jamon, Cheddar with truffle from Wyke Farms, all smothered in a barbecue sauce made from Kopi Luwak coffee and Macallan Single Malt Whisky Rare Cask, and smoked saffron chive mayonnaise made from duck eggs. Finally, the burger is bathed in whisky-impregnated smoke for added flavor.
"The ingredients complement each other very well and the flavors are intense," The Golden Boy's creator said. "Even though this burger is extremely costly, you should still use your hands because that is the only way to eat a burger. Since the bun is covered in gold leaf, your fingers will be golden by the time you finish."
As Robbert Jan de Veen worked on the recipe, word of a new world's most expensive burger spread around the Netherlands, and as news reached Geor Schuurman, manager of Remia, a Dutch company that makes margarines, sauces, dressings etc., he approached de Veen to buy the first burger. The two also decided that the honor of eating the first Golden Boy should go to someone who deserves it.
Rober Willemse, Chairman of the Royal Dutch Food and Beverage Association, was chosen to be the one to feast on the world's first Golden Boy burger, as he does, "an outstanding job, and went above and beyond in standing up for the interest of all food and beverages entrepreneurs In the Netherlands," according to de Veen.
Veen donated the proceeds from the sale to a non-profit organization.
The first Golden Boy burger was sold on June 28, but Robbert Jan de Veen is all set to sell more at his restaurant in the Dutch town of Voorthuizen. However, if you plan on actually spending $6,000 for a single burger, you'll need to order at least 2 weeks in advance, and also make a $750 deposit.
Veen stated in a statement that he was inspired to create this burger because he was depressed and saddened by the hardships of the public and the bleak status of the restaurant sector.
